East Greenwich, Rhode Island – June 11, 1946
At 3:30 pm on June 11, 1946, a 22-year-old man was attempting to take off from Greenwich Cove in a rented Piper Cub airplane fitted with pontoons. Just as the aircraft was becoming airborne it was struck by a strong gust of wind which forced one of the wings to dip and touch the water causing the plane to flip onto its back. The pilot was able to quickly extricate himself and swim to the surface uninjured. With the help of a friend, the partially submerged plane was towed to a nearby dock where it was later removed by a crane.
Source: The Rhode Island Pendulum, “King Gorman Has Narrow Escape As Plane Sinks In Bay”, June 13, 1946
